On the way home Saturday I saw the voltmeter on the dash of my 09 EG police pinned at over 16 volts. The check engine light would come on intermittently and voltage would fluctuate for a bit then return to 16+.

At home I made sure the battery was charged. It read 12.8-12.9 sitting. Starting voltage dropped to 10.8 to 11. Voltmeter showed charging as high as 18+ volts at 2500 rpm.

Captain Obvious says its the regulator. This bike had been in police service originally and now has about 36K on it.

Words of wisdom appreciated, and who makes a good regulator besides the OEM $220 version? Is the police version different than regular, and the bike has an OEM oil cooler.

Thanks

 

Regulator - Cycle Electric makes good stuff

 

I'd be suspecting the battery, sitting static charge should be 13.2- 13.4V or so on a good battery. Losing a cell internally does this.

 

Regulator gone if it's hitting 18V......shouldn't go over 14.7V........I just got a Cycle Electric Regulator and the voltage is much more stable.

 

 

Well, I installed a new regulator and--still shows 16+ on the gauge and up to 18V on the meter.

Having spent time with Brit Bike electrics in my misspent youth my eyes glaze over with electrical issues now. Since I can feel the ghost of Joe Lucas leering in my garage I'll take it to the shop. I have no effing idea what to do next.

 

 

 

MEASURING SoC (state of charge)

VOLTAGE METHOD: it is simple and practically everyone has a meter to do so. however it is inaccurate as hell! why?? cell material and temperature (ex: the addition of calcium which makes batteries maintenance free raises voltage levels 5>8%).the most blatant error is taking the reading when the battery is disturbed by charging or discharging as it distorts the voltage reading. to be ACCURATE, battery needs to be in a steady state rest for at least 4 hours and some mfg's suggest 24 hours for the lead acid types. this makes voltage reading SoC impractical for an active battery. also, different battery types have their own parameters so one size does not fit all! also temperature effects voltage, heat raises it and cold lowers it. also surface charge, stratification and electrolyte/plate composition and impurities. if you measure SoC via voltage, the battery must be floating with no load attached. any parasitic loads puts the battery in a quasi-closed circuit voltage condition.

HYDROMETER METHOD: obviously the battery has to have access plugs. when a lead acid battery accepts a charge, the sulfuric acid gets heavier, causing the SG to increase. when the battery discharges, the SoC decreases as the sulfuric acid removes itself from the electrolyte and binds to the plate, forming lead sulfate. the density of the electrolyte becomes lighter and more water like and the SG gets lower. the BCI (battery council international) specifies a fully charged battery at 1.265 SG but mfg's may go for 1.280 and higher. a higher SG will improve battery performance but may shorten it life due to increased corrosion.a low fluid level will change SG as water evaporates raising SG because of higher concentration. if the battery is over filled it will lower SG. when adding water, time must pass for it to be well mixedSG specifications will vary with type and application of the battery.NOTHING IN THE BATTERY WORLD IS ABSOLUTE!stratification, surface charge condition have their own effects.

COULOMB COUNTING: the meter uses ampere/second method by counting in/out current. this is an elegant solution but has flaws. for ONE, current IN will never be current OUT because there are inherit energy losses. the system does work well but the meter must be calibrated. some meters are self learning as it will use previous discharge rate to new rate and can compensate for aging and other variables. some can use new charge rate/time because a faded battery charges more quickly than a good one.

CAT'S MEOW!!!

IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY: this system not only measures SoC but CAPACITY as well. it uses an AC current at specified frequencies and pretty much ignores the faults of other methods. since it is an ac current, it can measure impedance both ways in the battery. a battery is a near perfect power source as it internal resistance is almost nill and can provide massive current over time. the meter measures the impedance and as the battery ages, the impedance changes. the higher the impedance, the worst the performance gets.

a little clip& paste. volt reading on a active battery is not accurate.
have you tested the gauge with a calibrated source, easy for the gauge to be skewed.
this is NOT all inclusive of ALL battery types but most all batteries follow a given mode of operating
i have to throw this disclaimer so satisfy those who get their panties in a bunch tooooo easily!!

 

Thanks for all your input. My local independent shop put in a new stator. They tell me this is the second one they've seen with these symptoms in the past few weeks.

A shout out for JJs V-Twins in Prescott Valley AZ. Jenna and Jesus are great folks and well respected in the area. And they charge realistic prices.